Lean on Me
by switchbladesandhairgrease
Summary: Several months after the death of the Curtis parents, Darry comes face to face with a life changing opportunity. He take its for two reasons: the pay and the location. After running it by his brothers, the gang finds out, and soon everyone is along for the erratic ride.
1. Welcome to Reseda

**Lean on Me**  
_Chapter One_

**Author's Note:** Gosh, one of the greatest movies of all time turns thirty years old today. In honor of the anniversary, I'm here to present the sequel to _One in the Same_. It takes place right where the last story left off. :)

Seeing as how this is a sequel, I highly suggest reading _One in the Same_ first. I'm sure this story will make a lot more sense, and it might be able to answer some of you biggest questions. (i.e., "Why is Johnny living with the LaRusso family?").

I hope you like this chapter. I'm not too particularly fond of it, but I won't say I dislike it because that isn't true. If I get around to it, I _might_ edit it and then upload the newest version at a later date. If I do, I'll mention the change at the beginning of chapter two, so you can go back and read that before proceeding on with the next chapter.

When you get done reading, please review. I am fascinated with what you all have to say and knowing people enjoy my story give me motivation to continue on. So, review are very appreciated. :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _The Outsiders_ or _The Karate Kid_.

* * *

Daniel, Mr. Miyagi, and Johnny exit the arena a little after ten o'clock that evening. Daniel is beaming as he holds on tightly to his first place trophy. As the three are walking, a couple referees stop them. "Hey, nice move LaRusso! People will be talking about that one for years!" One says. Daniel's smile only grows wider, and he merely nod his head. Seconds later, John Kreese tears through their groups angrily. The party of males stares at him incredulously.

"What's his deal?" Daniel asks absentmindedly turning back to the referees. The man with a mustache sighs sadly.

"He just doesn't know what karate is all about," one answers.

"Well maybe he should learn,"

"Would you like to teach him?" The other referee chuckles. Daniel cracks a smile and shakes his head. Mr. Miyagi continues walking causing Daniel to quickly say good-bye to the men. Moments later, two kids run up asking for Daniel's autograph. Mr. Miyagi looks at Johnny and gestures to the truck. He nods his head, and while Daniel signs the boys' books, Mr. Miyagi and Johnny go to sit in the truck.

XxXxXxX

Darry Curtis sets the phone back on the receiver, and for the first time since the death of his parents, he offers the world a genuine smile. He had just talked to his boss, Mr. Simpson. For once, he had hung up happily. Due to his hard work, Darry is rewarded with a raise. Not just any raise either. Darry's prize is a job transfer. If he accepts it, he and his brothers can move to a better location, and his paychecks will be a lot better.

At first, he isn't so sure about leaving Tulsa. Part of him wants to scream yes, and leave first thing in the morning, but another part isn't sure if he will comfortable leaving his parents. His mind races back to all the positives of the move. They can possible get away from this whole soc and greaser feud. Ponyboy may have access to a better school, and with the pay, they might be able to get back on their feet and not worry about making ends meet every week.

He has to say yes. There is no way he could ever turn down such an offer. Plus, the brothers might get placed in a nicer home considering the company is paying for everything for the first couple months. This whole opportunity is a dream come true.

The screen door squeaks open and slams shut, and two energetic boys come running into the kitchen. Darry looks up from the table; he tries everything to contain his smile, but it is absolutely no use. He can't wait to share the exciting news.

XxXxXxX

Ponyboy's mouth drops in pure happiness; Sodapop stares at his brother in confusion. "We're moving to California?" Pony asks. Darry nods his head. "Are we moving to where I think we're moving?" Darry's smile grows bigger, and he nods his head again. "We're moving to Reseda!" Ponyboy exclaims. He twists around quickly so he is facing Soda. "Do you hear that, Soda?" Pony grabs onto his brother's shoulders and starts to shake him. "We're moving to Reseda! We're going to live in Reseda!" Sodapop continues to stare at his brother in confusion.

"What's in Reseda?"

"Johnny! Johnny's in Reseda, Soda! We're going to be reunited with Johnny!" Ponyboy exclaims happily. He gets up from his seat rapidly. "When do we leave?" Darry drums his fingers on the table and hums to himself quietly.

"I'm not sure," he answers truthfully. "I have to talk to my boss about it tomorrow. Accordin' to him, though, the company out there is pretty low on men, so it'll probably be soon."

"Do you think we'll live near Johnny?" Sodapop asks, a smile forming on his face. Darry shrugs his shoulders.

"I ain't too sure. I haven't gotten very many details. All I know is that the pay is better, and we'd have to leave Tulsa," Steve steps into the kitchen and heads for the fridge.

"Who's leavin' Tulsa?" He asks, pulling a slice of chocolate cake out of the fridge. Ponyboy and Soda turn around in their seat and look at Steve, whose face is now covered in chocolate crumbs.

"When did you get here?" Darry asks, eyeing him. "Ain't you supposed to be at work?" Steve and Soda shake their heads simultaneously.

"No, the DX is closed for the next two weeks. There was a leak over the weekend, and they have to clear the water and fix everything before anyone can return," Steve explains. He moves towards the table and sits next to Pony. "Now, who's leavin' Tulsa?" Soda's smile somehow grows bigger.

"We're movin' to Reseda, Steve,"

XxXxXxX

Exactly one week later, the Curtis boys are on the road to California. Darry grips the steering wheel and listens to the five boys in the back play some license plate game. Somehow Soda had talked Darry into letting Steve come along, and once Two-Bit and Dally found out, they begged to come along too. In the end, the whole gang is moving out to Reseda. "Soda, since Steve is coming with us, you're not allowed to drop out, got it?" Darry asks, glancing at his younger brother through the van's rearview mirror.

Thanks to Steve, Darry was able to fix his truck up and sell it. With the money he had made from that, he bought a van that would fit all six boys, and their luggage. At first, Darry wasn't so sure about the new vehicle, but after sitting in the van for the past four hours, he wasn't minding the worn down seats anymore.

"But, Darry, I have to help you with the bills," Sodapop whines, looking at his older brother. In response, the oldest Curtis smiles.

"Don't worry. You, Steve, Two-Bit, and Dally are all going to get a part-time job, and you all are going to finish school," he says. All four of their eyes widen. "Yes, Dallas, I'm making you get a job." Steve starts laughing.

"He won't be able to keep the job for more than a week," Steve says. Dallas glares over at him.

"Shut it, Randle," he growls. Steve shakes his head, and the two of them get into it in the backseat. Darry shakes his head slowly and sighs. This is about to be the longest ride of his whole life. He can't wait to arrive in California.

XxXxXxX

Daniel storms into his and Johnny's shared room. He stomps over to his bed and carelessly throws himself on top of the blanket. Johnny looks up from his notebook. His eyes move towards his older brother, and instantly, he realizes something serious is wrong. "Daniel, what's wrong?" He asks, setting his pad of paper on his bed.

"Mom is making me go enroll for college, and she wants me to stay on campus, but I don't want to stay at school all day. I've been going to school nonstop since I was five; if I have to live at school, I'll throw a fit."

"Why don't you come home everyday then?" Johnny asks. Daniel rolls onto his back and sits up in a seated position.

"That's what I want to do, but mom wants me to stay on campus. Tadpole, do your big brother, whom you love, a big favor and tell her I should go to school for the day. She won't say no to you because she still feels bad for abandoning you when you were born," Johnny rolls his eyes.

"She put me up for adoption, Daniel . . ."

"Abandon. Adoption. Same difference," Daniel says, interrupting his younger brother. "Either way, will you talk to her with me?" Johnny sighs.

"I guess . . ."

"Thanks, Johnny! You're the best younger brother ever," Daniel smiles. Before Johnny can respond, Lucille's accent rings throughout the apartment. At the sound of their name, Daniel and Johnny get up from their beds and run off to see what their mother wants.

"A new family with a lot of boys moved in a couple apartments down the other day," Lucille starts, frosting a yellow cake. "So, I made them this cake, but I need you boys to deliver it because I got called into work for the evening." She sits her spatula down; Daniel instantly picks it up and starts to lick the frosting. Lucille rolls her eyes. "While I'm getting ready, will you boys go deliver it to the family?"

"Sure, Mom. Johnny will deliver it instantly,"

"No, Daniel, you're going with him,"

"Mom, I can't. I have to go enroll for college," Daniel answers, walking to the sink. He licks the spatula a couple more times before setting it in the sink.

"Daniel that can wait. Go with your brother. They live in apartment 25. It's downstairs," Lucille walks to each of her boys and kissed Daniel's cheek, and Johnny's forehead. "I'm going to shower. If you guys aren't back by the time I leave, I love you, and I'll see you later tonight." Lucille walks off towards her room. Daniel sighs and picks up the cake.

"Let's go get this done and over with," he mumbles, walking to the door. Johnny follows behind them, and they head to their new neighbors' apartment.

XxXxXxX

Johnny and Daniel stand outside, waiting for someone to answer the door. Daniel holds onto the cake and sighs. Johnny knows he is starting to get impatient. They've been standing there for the past five minutes at least. Johnny reaches up to knock on the door again, but before he can, it swings open to reveal a tall, muscular man. Johnny's eyes widen, and he slowly and cautiously looks up to meet the man's eyes. When he realizes who it is, he gasps. A smile slowly forms on his face. "Hello there, Johnnycake," he smiles. Daniel looks at them weirdly.

"How do you two know each other?" Daniel asks, looking down at Johnny. Johnny tears his attention away from his friend and looks at his brother.

"Remember when I use to tell you stories about Ponyboy?" Daniel nods his head. "Well, this is Ponyboy's older brother, Darry." Johnny turns back to the older greaser. "Is Pony here?" He asks happily. Darry nods his head and chuckles.

"They're all here. Do you two want to come in?" Darry asks, stepping out of the way. Johnny thanks him and steps into their apartment; Daniel follows behind him.

"Our mom made you guys this cake,"

"Steve should be happy that we have cake," Darry laughs, accepting the cake from Daniel. He sets it on the counter and turns back to Johnny. "Pony and the boys are in their room. Last I knew they were arguing over who was going to sleep where, and who got the two beds in the room." Johnny nods his head and takes off to go find his friends. Daniel and Darry stand alone in the living room. "So, you're Johnny's older brother?" Daniel nods his head awkwardly. "Johnny's a good kid. Back in Tulsa, he use to be neglected and abused. It broke all of our hearts, and we all tried to put a stop to it, but then he found about you and your mother. He managed to get a hold of you guys." Darry turns to face Daniel. "Thank you for saving him from those monsters."

"It was the least we could do," Daniel smiles. Darry nods his head slowly and smiles.

"He definitely seems a lot happier being with you guys," Darry states. "When he came to visit us a couple months ago, he was talkative. It use to take a lot to get him to talk. Plus, he doesn't seem so afraid anymore. That's a good thing." Daniel takes a seat on their couch and sighs.

"When we first got him back, I was such a jerk to him. Now, I feel really terrible about it," Darry drops next to the boy. He wraps his arm around him and chuckles.

"Don't be. It happens to the best of us,"

XxXxXxX

Johnny walks slowly down the hallway of the apartment. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to find their room, but once he hears the shouts and talking, he finds it with ease. Johnny steps into the doorframe; their backs are all facing him, and they are arguing over the beds. "I get one of the beds since I'm oldest," he hears Two-Bit say.

"I get the other; I'm youngest," Ponyboy speaks up. Someone laughs, and Johnny recognizes it as Dally.

"I get the other bed, kid. I'm the second oldest," Steve interrupts.

"I think I should get the second bed," Dallas says. "I'm the toughest out of you all." Johnny smirks to himself. Before anyone else can speak, the younger greaser makes a comment.

"I second that," he smiles. Everyone turns around, and their eyes widen when they notice Johnny. Pony starts to smile, and Soda runs over to the boy, wrapping him in a big hug.

"Johnnycake!" Steve says happily, hugging Johnny as well. Soon, everyone joins in their greaser group hug. It's great to be back together.

* * *

**Author's Note:** How was it? Is it worth continuing? Did you enjoy it? Does it make you excited to see what kind of trouble the boys are going to encounter in California?


	2. Reseda High School

**So, I'm taking on the challenge of writing two fanfics at the same time. I hope I don't regret my decision, but I promise I won't abandon this story, but I'm thinking about posting this new fanfic too. It's a Soda / Steve (not slash) story, and they're victims of a stalker. Unfortunately, I still need a name for it.**

**Well, here's chapter two. I hope you all like it, and when you're all done reading, I'd really appreciate it if you dropped me a review! :) Read and review please.**

* * *

A couple weeks after the big move brought the middle of August. Darry loaded up all the boys, including Daniel and Johnny, into the van, and Daniel directed the group to the local high school. Johnny secretly watched his older brother play rock, paper, and scissors with Steve. Daniel had taken an instant liking to Steve and Soda, and the three of them became friends quickly. "Darry, do I really have to go back to school?" Soda asked, watching Steve beat Daniel for the fourth time in a row.

"Soda, you have this year and next year. I think you can complete it," Darry said, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. Sodapop sighed loudly and sank into the van's backseat. "Johnny, what grade are you going into?" Darry asked him curiously.

"Well, I'm going to be a junior too. I got extra help last year, so I didn't have to repeat ninth grade," he answered proudly.

"Hey, I help you with a lot of your work," Daniel spoke up, losing to Steve for the fifth time. "I'm done. You're impossible to beat." Soda laughed.

"You think he's hard to beat at that game, try arm wrestling with him. He about snapped my wrist one day," Soda explained. Steve nodded his head proudly. Darry chuckled quietly to himself up front.

"I remember that. Soda, you were bawlin' like a baby," Dallas started roaring with laughter. "Mom had to put a pouch of heated up rice on your wrist to make you feel better."

"I swear," Soda said. "That thing was absolute magic. Do you we still have that thing? Or did we leave it back in Tulsa?" Darry shrugged his shoulders.

"It was left lying on our old bed," Ponyboy spoke up. "I was going to ask if you wanted to take it, but I forgot." Steve snorted.

"That's nothin' new," he laughed. Pony turned around and playfully glared at him. Steve smiled and waved back at him.

Shortly after Johnny left Tulsa, and the death of the Curtis parents, Steve and Ponyboy started making an effort to get along. A couple weeks into their effort, the two could finally tolerate each other, and Steve was beginning to enjoy Ponyboy's company. Soda was happy with their efforts, but once he found out the two actually liked each other, he nearly did cartwheels.

"Hi, Pony," he grinned. Darry slowed the van down before turning into the school's parking lot. Soda, Two-Bit, Dally, Pony, and Steve stared out the window at the run down school. "This is where we're going to school?" Steve asked plainly.

"This is the only high school in the area," Daniel explained. "I hope you all have a good time. Bullies are guaranteed here." Johnny shuddered at the memory of his brother being bullied, and how he somehow got thrown into the mix.

"Ain't you still goin' here?" Two-Bit asked. Daniel shook his head happily.

"Luckily, I graduated last year," he answered. "But now I have to apply for college, and that's going to suck majorly."

"It'll be worth it," Darry told him, pulling into a parking place. Once that car was turned off, all the boys filed out. "Where do we go from here, Daniel?" Daniel led the group, and Johnny ran up to walk beside him.

Daniel and Johnny led the group into the secretary's office. Mrs. Akerman stopped typing to greet the group. Once she noticed Daniel, a smile formed on her face. "Welcome back, Daniel. I thought you were done being here last year," A big smile formed on the graduate's face.

"Well, I couldn't stay away," he laughed. Mrs. Akerman chuckled quietly.

"The school is actually looking for a helper to the cooks," she explained. "I bet if you went to talk to the principal, he'd give you a job." Daniel looked at her. "He's in his office if you want to go talk to him." He thanked her before hurrying off to the principal's office.

Johnny stepped up next. Mrs. Akerman pulled out a box filled with crème colored folders. "Ah, little LaRusso," she smiled. "Are you nervous to be without your brother this year?" Johnny shrugged his shoulders, and Mrs. Akerman pulled out his folder. Johnny happily accepted it and eagerly pulled out his schedule.

_English 10 – Miss. Burke_

_Algebra II – Mr. Taylor_

_Spanish I – Mr. Briggs_

_Civics – Ms. Carlin_

_Lunch_

_Chemistry – Mrs. Morrison_

_Film Studies – Ms. Cornelius_

Johnny stuck the schedule back in his folder and turned back to his friends. Darry was handing each boy a paper to fill out.

Johnny's mind began to race as he thought about Spanish I. He had heard Lawrence talking about the teacher, Mr. Briggs, last year. The stuff he said wasn't always the nicest. His comments echoed throughout Johnny's head.

"_Mr. Briggs is such a dick," _Lawrence repeated that sentence numerous times on a daily basis. Johnny wasn't sure if it was because Briggs didn't like Lawrence, or if it was just his personality. Either way, Johnny was extremely nervous.

Daniel rejoined the group twenty minutes later. When he came back out, the boys were waiting for Soda, Pony, Two-Bit, Dally, and Steve to receive their schedules. "Did you get the job, darling?" Mrs. Akerman asked Daniel. He nodded his head happily.

"He said I work from 7:30 to 2:30 every Monday thru Friday," Daniel explained. "Plus, I make $7.50 an hour. Not too bad for not knowing how to cook."

"What about college?" Darry asked. Daniel waved him off and laughed.

"College can wait,"

XxXxXxX

By the time the group arrive back at their apartment complex, Johnny learned his friends' schedules. He learned he had English with Two-Bit, algebra II with Soda, Spanish with Steve and civics with Steve and Soda. Johnny was even shocked to learn he had chemistry with Dallas and Ponyboy, even though Pony was only in tenth grade. Aside from that, all of the boys were happy to learn they all shared the same lunch.

"_Maybe school won't be so bad this year," _Sodapop thought to himself.

* * *

**Review loves. :)**


	3. The Gang's First Day

**Lean on Me**  
_Chapter Three_

**Author's Note (Please Read):** First off, I changed my name because I like this one a lot more than my other name. So, don't worry, it's still me. Aside from that, the remaining portion of this author's note is pretty important. Honestly, I'm not quite sure what to do with this story anymore. I'm thinking of either putting it hiatus or deleting it as a whole. If I do happen to put it on hiatus, I'm not sure when the next update will be. It could be a couple weeks or a month; I'm not too sure. I mean, I do want to continue this story, but I'm stuck, and what's the whole point of writing when you know the chapter is going to be terrible due to the fact that I lack ideas. Plus, I've started another story, and I'm pretty happy with how that's going at the moment. Maybe once I reach chapter five, I'll post the first chapter as a way to make up for putting this fanfic on hold? Anyway, this is the end of my rant. I hope you like the chapter, and if you do, I'd really appreciate feedback.

* * *

Days passed too quickly for the gang's liking, and before they knew it, it was time to go back to school.

Since Daniel had a job with the cooks, he offered to give everyone a ride. Johnny wasn't sure how it happened, but they all managed to fit in Daniel's yellow car. "Wow," Steve said breathlessly. "This is one tuff car."

"Thanks," Daniel smiled, crawling behind the steering wheel. "I got it from Mr. Miyagi." Soda, Steve, Johnny, and Ponyboy crawled into the backseat while Dally and Two-Bit claimed the front.

"Who's Mr. Miyagi?" Soda asked in confusion. Daniel started up the car and mumbled a few comments to Dally, so Johnny took this as an opportunity to answer.

"Mr. Miyagi is the maintenance man. When Daniel was being bullied, he took him under his wing and taught Daniel karate. Daniel entered a tournament last December and came in first," Johnny explained.

"Dang, I don't imagine you being a martial arts kind of guy," Dallas said, staring out at the road ahead. Daniel shrugged.

"I use to take karate back in Newark," he answered. "Karate is more fun with Mr. Miyagi though."

"Damn it!" Steve exclaimed. Everyone, except Daniel, turned around and found him staring down at his lap.

"What happened?" Daniel asked, staring at him in the rearview mirror.

"I was drinking my chocolate milk, but I accidentally got it all over myself," he explained. "Now it looks like I peed myself." Sodapop started to laugh.

"It's your first day at a new school, and everyone is going to think you have bladder issues," he laughed. In the front, Dallas snorted, and then everyone, including Johnny, began to laugh hard.

"Daniel," Ponyboy laughed. "Calm down before you get us all killed." Everyone looked towards the driver and realized that he thought the joke was funnier than anyone else. He straightened up and took deep breaths.

"Sorry, that comment reminded me of something that happened in Newark a few years ago," he explained.

"I sense a story coming on," Two-Bit spoke up.

"All right, well . . ."

XxXxXxX

Steve stepped into Spanish and made his way over to Johnny. He plopped down next to the boy and groaned. "This kid named Rick was laughin' at my jeans earlier, and he started callin' me 'piss puddle Steve', so then I punched him. So far, I haven't gotten caught." Johnny started laughing earning him a glare from Steve.

"I'm sorry," Johnny said. "But, Steve, you have to admit. That is kind of a funny nickname." Steve rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed, but even Johnny knew Steve couldn't be annoyed at him.

The bell rang. Mr. Briggs entered the room and shut the door behind him. He observed his class with a small smile on his face.

_"Maybe he won't be as bad as Lawrence made him out to be,"_

XxXxXxX

Daniel joined the gang for lunch. He took a seat at the end next to his little brother and looked his new friends. "How has everyone's day been?" Daniel asked, taking a bite of a meatball. At the question, Soda started to laugh, and Steve inwardly groaned.

"Steve already has himself a nickname, and the first day isn't even over yet," Johnny explained. Daniel looked at him curiously. "Go on, Steve, tell him your nickname."

"Well, there's this kid in my algebra II class named Rick, and he decided to start calling me 'Piss Puddle Steve'," he explained. "In returned, I punched him right in the jaw."

"Steve, you can't just punch people because they call you a name. How much trouble did you get in?" Daniel asked. Steve began to smirk.

"I didn't get caught," he answered. "I'm Steve Randle; I don't get caught." As soon as he finished speaking, a man with hardly any hair approached the table. He observed the boys carefully.

"Which one of you is Steve Randle?" He asked. Steve looked up at him and slowly raised his hand. "I need you to come with me." He got up from the table and followed the man away from his friends.

"I bet he's in trouble for what he did to that kid," Dallas commented, taking a bite of his lunch. Daniel chuckled and nodded his head.

"The almighty Steve Randle got caught," Two-Bit laughed. "What if he gets a referral or something?" Soda's eyes widened.

"Darry will have his butt!" Sodapop replied. "Since he's all of our guardian, try to remain on your best behavior."

"No promises," Dallas answered.

XxXxXxX

Ten minutes later, Steve joined his friends again. They all watched him eagerly. When he took a seat, he pulled out a pink sheet. "I got a referral," he shared. Ponyboy shook his head.

"Darry is going to be ticked off at you, Steve," Soda said.

"Not if he doesn't know about it," Steve replied. The guys all stared at him. "I'll forge his signature." Dallas started to smirk.

"You really think they're going to believe that. Don't they have his signature on file or somethin' for when he enrolled us?" Dally asked. Steve shrugged his shoulders and read over his pink slip.

"I dunno. It's worth a try though," he said.

"What if the school calls him?" Ponyboy inquired. "Remember that one time I got slapped at school, they called home." Sodapop shrugged his shoulders.

"They called my dad when I punched Tim Shepard," Dallas added. Steve sighed loudly.

"All right. We understand that the school in Tulsa called parents when the littlest thing happen. This is California though. It might be different," Steve told them.

"They never called our mom last year whenever Daniel got beat up by Lawrence," Johnny said. "Then again, he never did get caught."

"Thanks, Johnny. That helps a lot," Steve replied sarcastically.

* * *

**Author's Note:** That's it for chapter three. I hope you found a little entertainment within it, but now that it's over, this story is going on hiatus until some more ideas come to mind. I'll try my best to continue it, but I can't make any promises. Please review. Your support means a lot to me.


	4. Back to the Beginning

**Lean on Me**  
_Chapter Four_

**Author's Note:** Hey! Did you all miss me? :) It's been a while, but I'm back with a new chapter! I'm sorry that it's short, but hopefully it was worth the _long_ wait. So, please read it, and when you get done reading, please review, and tell me how it was! I'd really appreciate it! Also, my last day of school is Thursday, so that means more updates will be coming soon, but I don't know how frequent they'll come. Last week, I applied for a couple jobs, so we'll have to see how that works out.

* * *

"Steve, would you care to explain why the school called me at work explaining that you punched some boy earlier?" Darry asked as soon as the guys entered their apartment. Soda started to laugh quietly, and Steve took a deep breath.

"Well, you see, Darry. I got milk all over my pants, and it left a stain, and that boy started calling me 'piss puddle Steve', so that's why I punched him," Steve explained effortlessly. Darry shook his head and sighed loudly.

"Steve," he groaned. "You can't punch someone because they call you a name. This isn't Tulsa anymore; this is California. This school actually cares," he replied.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure Rick told a teacher. I'm also sure they care more about enforcin' the dress code than the safety of their students," Steve told him, grabbing a piece of cake from the fridge.

"That's true, Darry. I saw a couple teachers flippin' out on this girl because she was wearing a tank-top with thin straps, and at the same time, these boys were horsin' around, shoving each other into lockers and stuff," Ponyboy added. Darry sighed again. It was obvious he was stressed out, and not in the mood to be dealing with this problem.

"Don't let it happen again, Steve. If it does, I'm not afraid to ground ya. As for everyone else, I got called into work, so I'll be home around eight o'clock hopefully," Darry turned to face Daniel. "Daniel, can you make sure they do their homework?" He nodded his head happily.

"Don't worry, Darry. You can count on me!" The oldest smiled and nodded his head quickly before heading out the door. As soon as it was latched shut, Two-Bit ran to the television set.

"I doubt Mickey is on, Two-Bit. It's a weekday," Dallas said, rolling his eyes. Two-Bit looked up at him.

"Hey, remember what Darry said? This isn't Tulsa. We're in California! I bet they have a channel that shows Mickey all the time!" Two-Bit exclaimed happily.

"Sorry, Two-Bit," Daniel said. "We've been out here for a year, and that's long enough to tell you there isn't a channel that plays Mickey Mouse all day. He's only on Saturday mornings." Two-Bit turned the television off in defeat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I hate California," he muttered sadly, leaning back into the old couch.

"Is there anything fun to do in California?" Sodapop asked. Daniel looked towards him and nodded his head with a slight smile.

XxXxXxX

Daniel crossed the old train tracks and pulled the car through the open gate. The five boys looked towards the dark green house curiously. Daniel parked the car just as an older man was stepping out of the house. "Where are we?" Ponyboy asked Johnny.

"That's Mr. Miyagi right there, and we're at his house" Johnny whispered back in response. The older man looked up at the car full of boys curiously.

"Hello, Daniel-San! Hello, Johnny-San! Who they?" Daniel shut the car off and got out. Everyone followed his lead, and soon a bunch of boys were clustered together, standing next to the now empty yellow convertible.

"Mr. Miyagi, these are Johnny's friend from Tulsa," Daniel explained. He began to point each boy out and identify them with their name. Mr. Miyagi watched in fascination. Once Daniel was finished, he looked back towards the elder. "Soda and Pony also have an older brother named Darry, but he's at work."

"Very nice to meet all," Mr. Miyagi greeted. Then, he looked back at Daniel. "Daniel-San, come here." Daniel followed after the man, and the two wandered into his backyard.

"Come on," Johnny said. The whole gang followed after them, and once they saw Mr. Miyagi's backyard, their jaws hit the ground.

Ponyboy was in heaven. Leading up to this moment, he had never seen anything as spectacular as this man's backyard. Even sunsets were hard to compare to this. "This is beautiful," he said breathlessly.

"Daniel-San, hear about new tournament?" Daniel shook his head. "Kreese got new student to beat you." Daniel and Johnny's eyes widened. "You need beat him. He out for blood."

It sounded like it would be a repeat of last year . . . only ten times worse.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Also, I was reading the reviews for this story earlier, and I'd like to thank 'guest' for the idea of another tournament. Please don't be afraid to review with feedback or even story ideas! I'll try to include them into my story. :)


	5. Daniel and the Never Ending Stress

**Lean on Me**  
_Chapter Five_

**Author's Note:** I'm really sorry for the extremely long wait, and I'm sad that no one reviewed the last chapter. I know I promised more chapters this summer, but I've been very busy. I promise I'll try and update more before I go back to school in September. I hope this chapter was worth the nearly two month wait, and I hope you all review this chapter. It'd really mean a lot to me. I'd love it if you guys would follow and favorite too. Lemme tell all of you something, it's really hard to write Mr Miyagi's dialogue, so I'm apologizing in advance for that.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _The Outsiders_ or _The Karate Kid_.

* * *

Mr. Miyagi stands behind Daniel as he explains last year's tournament to his and Johnny's friends in full detail. Every so often, Pony and Soda each grimace at the excruciating pain Daniel was forced to encounter. They all stand in front of him, speechless, when Daniel finishes his story. "Very bad." Mr. Miyagi confirms, nodding his head slightly. Johnny stares at the ground blankly, lost in thought. If, he thinks, Lawrence was cruel last year, then Daniel is in for a very rude awakening. Daniel throws his hands up in the air and groans loudly.

"Of course this would happen," he starts. "My life was just getting better, and then it spirals back into hell!" Daniel crosses his arms angrily. Mr. Miyagi sets his hand gently on Daniel's shoulder. Johnny waits to see if he does anything.

"No need get worked up." Mr Miyagi says calmly. Daniel shakes his head.

"No, Mr. Miyagi, you don't understand."

"Miyagi understand perfectly," he interjects. "You go home. Calm down some." Daniel sighs and nods his head obediently. He pulls away from the older man and leads the way out of his backyard. Soda, Steve, Two-Bit, Pony, Dallas and Johnny all follow behind him.

XxXxXxX

The whole ride home, Johnny stares at the back of Daniel's head, trying to figure out what's really wrong with his older brother. It's unlike him to get this worked up over a tournament, so surely something else is bothering him. Johnny is determined to figure it out too. When they arrive back at the apartments, Johnny's oblivious to their arrival, and it takes a couple nudges from Ponyboy to bring him back to reality. "Hey, you okay?" Pony asks. He nods his head, and the two climb out of the car. Everyone goes their separate ways; Johnny decides to take this time to explain his theory to his best friend.

"I think somethin' is botherin' Daniel," Johnny starts. Ponyboy looks at him in confusion. "This ain't like Daniel. I think somethin' else is botherin' him." Pony shrugs his shoulders.

"I dunno, Johnny. He might've had a bad day today or somethin', so the news of the tournament is stressin' him out more," Pony says thoughtfully. Johnny sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "I ain't too sure, Johnny. He ain't my brother. 'Sides, you've known him longer 'n me. You might be right, and I could be wrong." Johnny starts to smile a bit.

"I'll talk to 'im tonight. I don't like seein' Daniel so upset," The two boys climb up the staircase and head their separate ways. "See ya later, Ponyboy." Pony waves to his friend before walking back down the stairs, and Johnny disappears into his apartment.

Lucille is sitting on the couch, working on her knitting. Johnny shuts the door and takes his shoes off before meeting her eyes. She stares back at him sadly. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with your brother?" Lucille asks. Johnny shakes his head. "He doesn't look too happy, and I was hoping you'd know." Johnny shakes his head again and starts heading towards his and Daniel's room. Lucille sighs sadly and goes back to her knitting. Slowly, the younger boy heads towards his and Daniel's shared bedroom. On the inside, he debates on if he should tell his mom or not.

Johnny stops dead in his tracks a couple feet away from the couch. He turns around on the toes of his socks and looks at his mom. Lucille stops knitting before slowly turning to face him. "Mom, I might know what's wrong, but I ain't sure if it's the real reason he's mad," Her eyes light up, and she nods, encouraging him to continue. "Well, Mr. Miyagi mentioned something about another tournament." Johnny begins. "He said that Kreese is training another student, and this guy is out for blood. I think it's stressin' him out." Lucille sighs sadly.

"I don't understand why that man hates him so much. I guess he's still pretty upset about what happened last December. It's a real shame that he's taking students and training them like that. Karate is supposed to be for fun, and he's not teaching those boys that." Johnny nods his head.

"I'm going to go talk to him," he announces, slipping off to their shared bedroom. Inside the room, Daniel is sitting at the desk with his head in his hands. Johnny stops in the doorway and watches his brother, stalling in an attempt to think of how to bring up the conversation. "I know something more is wrong." Daniel picks his head up and looks towards Johnny sadly.

"Did you read the letter, or are you guessing?" He asks. Johnny steps into the room and shuts the door behind him. He looks at his older brother weirdly. Daniel sighs and opens the top drawer to the desk. He pulls out a purple envelope and hands it to the youngest LaRusso.

Johnny reads over the front. It's a letter from his girlfriend, Ali. He glances back at his brother; Daniel nods, telling him silently it's okay to read it. Johnny pulls the letter out of the envelope and unfolds the lined paper. He takes one more quick look at his brother before reading what Ali has to say.

_Dear Daniel,_

This last year with you was one of the greatest years of my whole life. Since that day I saw you on the beach, I was absolutely positive you were the one. I can't even tell you how many times I dreamed of us actually getting married, and occasionally, I thought about what it'd be like to start a family together. Seeing you made me believe in love at first sight.

It's a real shame you're not at UCLA with me. I wish you were here, but since you're not, I think we should break up. I'm starting to fall for Richard Cox, he's a football player. It's not you, Daniel. I still love you, but I think it's kind of pointless to continue our relationship when I'm not even going to see you that much. I hope we can still be friends. I really am sorry I have to do this, but I think you'll agree with me when I say it's best for both of us. Talk to you soon, Daniel.

Love, Ali.

Johnny folds the letter back up and stuffs it into the envelope. Daniel sadly watches him set the bad news back on the desk. "She's fallen in love with a football player," Daniel repeats. "As if I don't have enough on my plate as it is. My girlfriend broke up with me, and sometime in the near future, Kreese's new student is going to kill me." He stands up from the desk abruptly and storms off. Johnny stands there helplessly.

If only he could help his heart-broken brother.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So - I was reading through the first story, and I decided that I actually miss writing this story. I'm going to work hard, and I'd like to start posting a new chapter every week. Unlike the previous chapters, and the first story, this chapter is in present tense. After I publish this, I plan on going through chapters 1 - 4 and rewriting those, so that the tense matches this one.

I hope you guys liked this chapter, and thankfully, I know what I want to happen, so more chapters will be up soon. I hope you all review chapter 5. I'd really, really appreciate it. Farewell for now. :)


	6. Johnny's Big Move

**Lean on Me  
**_Chapter Six_

**Author's Note:** So - I haven't gone back to fix the previous chapters, but I promise I'll do it eventually. I promise to do it before the next chapter is posted. At least I hope I can motivate myself to do it by then. It'll get done eventually though!

I'm really upset. I had quite a lot done for this chapter, and I went to save it. Well, our internet has been slow and dumb lately, so it said the page couldn't be displayed, and it wouldn't refresh. I clicked the back button, and everything was gone. I'm really upset, but hopefully this chapter turns out better than what I originally had. Who knows.

Now, onward with this news relating to this chapter / story. My new plan is to update this story every Monday. When you finish reading, please tell me what you think of this chapter. If you want, go ahead and throw in a couple ideas. Mostly, I want your feedback to let me know how I'm doing. So, please review. The more reviews, the faster I update. :)

* * *

Bright and early Sunday morning, Mr. Miyagi calls Daniel to his place to begin training for the new tournament. After that request, Daniel's sensei decides to inform him that he'll fight for his title on November 26th - in exactly ten weeks. Following that news, the two men discuss last year's tournament for a couple minutes before ending their phone call.

Daniel sets the phone on the receiver and wanders back towards his room. On his way, he grabs a pillow from the couch, and once Daniel steps into their room, he launches the pillow at Johnny. It's hits the youngest in the face, jolting Johnny awake. He looks around in confusion and suddenly becomes annoyed when he realizes it was the doing of his brother. "Daniel, what was that for?" Johnny groans.

"Come on, Tadpole. I have training today, and I want you to come with me." Daniel starts to make his bed while Johnny continues to stare at him. Once he processes what's going on, he directs his attention towards the window. The sun is shining bright in the sky. "Hurry and get dressed. It's already 9:30, and Mr. Miyagi wants us there by 10:00."

"Why do I have to go with you? All I'm going to do is stand around," Johnny grumbles. Daniel fluffs his pillow up before setting it in its proper place. "Why are you making me come along?" He asks again.

"Johnny, we're not going to be there long. Mr. Miyagi has something to do later tonight. Besides, maybe you can train with me, and then someday we can have a pretend karate tournament," Daniel stands up and starts to show off the moves he learned the previous year. "Do you remember everything?" Johnny shrugs his shoulders. "I'll be out in the kitchen. Hurry up so we can leave. I don't want to be late." Daniel exits the room, and once he's gone, Johnny sighs loudly.

He pushes his blankets off him angrily and climbs out of bed. All he wants to do is sleep. Daniel talked him into staying up until three o'clock in the morning, and now all Johnny wants is to refuel himself by sleeping. He steps onto the wooden floor. It squeaks slightly under his weight. Johnny pulls his boxers down and peels his shirt off over his head before going to choose another outfit for the day. "Hey, grab a sweatshirt. It's a little cold outside!" Daniel calls from outside the room. Johnny mutters negative things about Daniel but grabs his clothes.

Johnny grabs Daniel's red sweatshirt before joining his brother in the main room. Daniel stuffs the remaining toast in his mouth and looks at Johnny in confusion. "Is that my sweatshirt?" He asks though a mouthful of toast. Johnny looks down at it. He nods his head slowly before meeting Daniel's gaze. "Why are you wearing it?" Johnny merely shrugs and heads to put his shoes on. Daniel shrugs his shoulders and doesn't argue. He copies Johnny's actions, and the two get ready for a day of karate.

XxXxXxX

Mr. Miyagi demonstrates the drum technique for the seventh time. Daniel watches him and tries to copy him while Johnny stares at the old man like he's nuts. Mr. Miyagi stops and looks towards him. "Johnny-San, why no practice?"

"I thought this was for Daniel. I'm not the one who's enterin' the tournament."

"Practice good," Mr. Miyagi answers. "You be karate champion someday too." Johnny shakes his head and makes a funny face. "Practice, Johnny-San." Johnny doesn't move; instead, he continues to engage in the staring contest with the sensei.

"Come on, Johnny. It's fun." Daniel coax. Johnny sighs loudly and gives in. Mr. Miyagi smiles proudly and goes back to practicing the drum technique. Johnny watches him closely before trying to mimic his actions. It's not long before he gets the hang of it, and boy, was Daniel wrong. This wasn't very fun at all.

XxXxXxX

"I don't think karate is for me," Johnny tells Pony later that day. Pony lies on his stomach and looks up at his best friend. Johnny continues to stare out the window. "Daniel looks pretty cool when he does it, but I bet I look like a dork. I think Mr. Miyagi wants me to enter a tournament though." Johnny starts to smile. "Heh, what if I entered this tournament and went up against Daniel? How do you think that'd make him feel?" Pony starts to smile too.

"That'd be kind of funny. I think you should try it. Surely Daniel wouldn't mind if you took his trophy." Johnny shrugs and looks towards Pony.

"I dunno, Ponyboy. You heard Mr. Miyagi tell Daniel that Kreese has a new student that's out to kill him. What if I actually made it to the finals and had to deal with him? There's no tellin' what he'd do to me."

"You should try it for fun, and if you end up making it to the semi-finals, then you could always lose, so you don't make it to the finals. C'mon, Johnny, what's the point of training if it ain't gonna do you no good? Besides, I think it'd be real fun competing in a tournament like that."

"I'll think 'bout it, but for now, I gotta head home. My ma ain't home tonight, and Daniel is probably gonna come lookin' for me soon. 'Sides, I think we're gonna head to the theater tonight and see if anythin' interestin' is playin'." Johnny and Pony both start to get up.

"It's a school night. Ain't your mom gonna be mad that you two are out so late on a school night?" Pony asks in confusion. Johnny turns around and looks at him with a big smile.

"When she ain't home, Daniel's motto is 'what she doesn't know won't hurt her'." He responds with a laugh. Pony begins to smile and rolls his eyes good naturedly.

"I sure wish Darry was like that. Do ya think Daniel could hang out with him to change him?" The two reach the door, and Johnny pulls it open. "G'night, Johnny. I'll see you tomorrow at school." Johnny waves good-bye and steps out into the muggy California air. He looks up at the smog covered sky before beginning his two minute journey back to his apartment.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So - I'm really debating on having Johnny enter the tournament, but then it conflicts with my other idea that I have which involves some major brother bonding time. I don't know. I'll probably include both ideas. Please review though. :) Also, I promise the chapters will start to get longer.


	7. One Against One

**Lean on Me**  
_Chapter Seven_

**Author's**** Note:** To the guest reviewer, I'm sorry that you don't want to see Johnny enter the tournament, but don't worry. I have something in mind. I hope you continue reading. :)

Also, I planned on fixing the remaining chapters this weekend, but I went to my grandma's house on Friday, and I just got home today. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. When you get done reading, I'd appreciate you all reviewing. It gives me motivation to write, and I love seeing what you guys have to say. :)

* * *

Johnny tries to enter the apartment silently, but Daniel is waiting for him in one of the chairs. He doesn't say anything to the youngest LaRusso, and for a minute, Johnny wonders if he even realizes he's home. Johnny also debates on telling him his decision on entering the tournament. Sure, Daniel will freak out, but it's not like Johnny could eliminate Daniel - he's only fighting in the championship round after all. "Hey, Daniel," Johnny says before he can think twice. The oldest tears his attention away from the newspaper and looks towards his brother. Johnny averts his attention to the wooden floor and kicks a crack in the wood. "Can I talk to you about something?" He asks quietly.

"Uh, yeah, of course," Daniel responds. "Come sit down." Johnny complies and sits on the couch opposite of Daniel's chair. "What did you want to talk about?" Johnny stuffs his hands in the pockets of his jacket and thinks of ways to announce it to his brother.

"Well," he starts. "You're only going to compete in the championship match, right?" Johnny asks, gingerly looking towards Daniel. In response, Daniel nods his head slowly. He stares at Johnny, waiting to see where this conversation goes. "Pony and I were talkin', and I was tellin' him 'bout the tournament, and how you're makin' me train too." Johnny continues explaining as slowly as he can. Daniel tense up once he realizes where this is going. "Do you think you could train me?" Daniel throws his newspaper aside and jumps to his feet.

"Oh no, Johnny. I'm not letting you enter this tournament. You barely know karate, and you're a lot smaller than the guys that are going to be there." Daniel says. Johnny looks up at him with an angered frown.

"You were 17 when you entered, and I'm 17 now. Daniel, you can train me, so I'll know everything I need to know! I'll even ask Mr. Miyagi to train me! Besides, you're not my dad! You can't tell me what I can and can't do." Johnny throws back, standing up. Daniel's eyes narrow angrily.

"I'm the closest thing you have to a dad." He shoots back bitterly. Daniel turns on his heel and storms off to their bedroom. Johnny crosses his arms angrily and watches him walk away. He falls to the couch hard, and once Daniel reaches their room, he slams the door shut loudly. Johnny throws himself back into the couch and digs his nails into his palms.

_"Whether Daniel likes it or not,"_ he thinks. _"I'm entering that tournament." _

XxXxXxX

Johnny passes by Dally in the back and takes a seat next to Ponyboy the next day in chemistry. Pony stops writing in his notebook and looks up at his friend. "Well, I talked to Daniel last night about entering the tournament."

"And?"

"And he flipped shit on me. I don't even know why. He was 17 last year when he entered, and I'm 17 now, so I don't understand what the big deal is. He can't use the 'I'm bigger than you are' because we both know that ain't true," Johnny sighs. "Daniel is goin' to Mr. Miyagi's after school, and I'm gonna go home. My ma should be home, so I'll talk to her, and see what she says."

"He really thinks he can boss you 'round like that?" Pony asks. "Who does he think he is? Your dad?" Johnny shrugs his shoulders and sighs.

"I ain't too sure, but I said that to him last night, and he got really mad at me. He said that he was the closest thing to a dad that I have," Johnny explains. "Like I said, I'll talk to my mom when he ain't home, so he won't be able to interfere." Mrs. Morrison stops talking and directs her attention to the middle table in the third row.

"Mr. LaRusso and Mr. Curtis, why are you talking during my lecture? If your conversation is so important, surely you wouldn't mind telling the whole class. We'd love to hear something more interesting." Pony begins to blush and quickly directs his attention to his notebook; Johnny sighs loudly and buries his face in his arms.

"C'mon, Johnny, what were y'all talkin' 'bout? It's gotta be more interestin' than what this broad is talkin' 'bout!" Dallas calls from the back. The class erupts in laughter, and Mrs. Morrison looks beyond pissed.

"Mr. Winston, that is enough! I will not tolerate that kind of behavior in this classroom! Now, take your feet off the table and march down to the principal's office this instant!" She exclaims angrily. Johnny picks his head up; both, he and Pony, turn around in curiosity. Both are eager to see what Dal does next.

He throws his feet to the ground, making sure he makes a big thud. Mrs. Morrison puts her hands on her hips, and she stares at him with such hatred. Dally stands up and moves out of the way before pushing his bar stool into the table. He turns around and lazily exits the classroom. Mrs. Morrison turns her attention back to Johnny and Ponyboy.

"Now, Mr. LaRusso and Mr. Curtis, if you two continue talking, you'll be joining Mr. Winston in the office. Do you understand?" Pony nods his head quickly while Johnny remains silent. "Mr. LaRusso, I said, do you understand?" Johnny frowns and nods his head. Boy, if he wasn't afraid, he'd love to tell that woman off. She is worse than Mrs. Stacey.

XxXxXxX

Johnny takes a seat in the back of his last period and patiently waits for the bell to ring. Film studies is his last class of the day, and his teacher is the nicest person he's ever met. He sets his backpack on the ground and watches kids run by outside the classroom. That was the only thing Johnny liked about school. There are no halls. As soon as you step outside the classroom, you are in the warm California sun.

A kid enters the classroom in confusion, taking nervous glances at a piece of paper in his hand. He looks up, and when he notices Johnny he hurries towards him. "Is this film studies?" He asks. Johnny nods his head. The kid relaxes and takes a seat next to Johnny. "Sorry, I'm new here. I hope you don't mind me sitting by you." Johnny shakes his head and starts to smile. The kid starts to smile too. "I'm Caleb. Caleb Barnes."

"I'm Johnny LaRusso." The two boys continue talking to each other, but once the bell rings, they quiet down to see what this period brings.

XxXxXxX

Lucille is standing at the stove when Johnny arrives home. Unlike Johnny, Daniel went to Mr. Miyagi's house after school was let out, so Johnny was forced to walk home. "Hey, Sweetheart, where aren't you with Daniel?" Lucille asks, tearing her attention away from whatever she's doing. Johnny sighs loudly and takes a seat at the bar stool.

"We kinda got into a fight last night, and he completely left me today after school." Johnny explains quietly. Lucille stares at him. Her face is difficult to read.

"Johnny, tell me what happened. Don't you dare tell me it was nothing."

"Well," Johnny sighs. He laces his fingers together and twiddles his thumbs. Johnny avoids Lucille's eye contact, and instead, stares down at his hands. "Well, he made me train with him yesterday. What's the whole point of training if I'm never going to use it? So, then I told Daniel that I want to enter the tournament, and he flipped out on me. Then, I told him he wasn't my dad, and he got all angry and said that he was the closest thing to a dad I have. I dunno, since then, he hasn't talked to me. The ride to school this morning was quiet. The only thing he said was an occasional swear when something went wrong." Lucille sighs sadly and sets the wooden spoon down.

"I'm sure he meant well, but it's rude of him to completely ignore you," she says. "I have to work late tonight, but I imagine Daniel will be awake when I get home. Don't worry, Sweetie. I'll talk to him." Johnny continues staring at his hands and absent-mindedly nods his head.

"I saw his schedule today during lunch," Johnny starts, averting his attention up to his mother. "He has tomorrow off. He doesn't have to go in at all." Lucille nods her head with a tiny smile on her face.

"Okay, Johnny. I'll talk to him."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Johnny is fighting with Daniel, but he's thinking about entering the tournament, and he made new friend! It'd be a shame if something happened between Johnny and Caleb. ;)

I'd really love if you all review! I'd appreciate it! Also, I'd be overjoyed if you guys review / follow / favorite. It'll make my day!


	8. Childish Games

**Lean on Me**  
_Chapter Eight_

**Author's Note:** For once, I actually had a busy weekend. On Saturday, my family went to an RV show, and then yesterday, we traveled to Chicago to go to the comic con. Now, I'm not a comic book fan (we actually only went because Ralph was there), but I have to admit that it was really, pretty cool. It was definitely something new for me.

I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story. It really means a lot to me, and I hope to see reviews for you guys in the future. As for now, I hope you all like chapter eight. Afterwards, I'd really appreciate it if you guys review, favorite and/or follow. :)

* * *

After going to the local ice cream shop with Ponyboy, Johnny starts to head home. It's been a couple days since his fight with Daniel has started, and Johnny is beginning to wonder if his mother will ever talk to his brother. When he arrives home, he gets his answer.

Lucille is sitting on the couch with her arms over her chest, and she looks beyond annoyed.

Johnny enters the apartment slowly, hoping not to disturb his infuriated mother. Lucille looks up at him. "I'm going to strangle your brother," she growls. "I talked to him, Johnny, and he refused to listen to what I had to say. He was being disrespectful. That's not like him. . ." Lucille continues to explain their conversation. Finally, she stops. Johnny meets her eyes. "If you want to enter the tournament, go ahead. I'm a little nervous about you entering, but if you want to, then go ahead. Daniel will get over it."

"Why are you against me entering too?" He asks her curiously. Lucille sighs. "I don't remember you ever being against Daniel when he announced he was entering that tournament last year."

"Johnny, I was against it too. We got into a couple disagreements over it while you were out. He had to talk me into it," Lucille explains. "John, you're a little smaller than Daniel was last year, and I'm afraid you're really going to get hurt. We saw how badly Daniel was hurt last year. He was limping for at least a week. I'm not trying to be unfair, I'm just worried that something serious is going to happen, and I don't want you to get badly injured." Johnny drops his backpack down onto the ground and hurries to the couch; he drops down next to his mother.

"No, Mom, I'll ask Mr. Miyagi to train me," Johnny tells her happily. "I'll head over to his place after school tomorrow, and so I'm not going alone, I'll ask Ponyboy if he'll go with me. Mom, you won't need to worry about me. I'll be great." Lucille looks at him wearily. "Oh, pretty please, Mom!" Lucille averts her attention towards the ground; she sighs loudly and buries her face in her hands.

"Fine, Johnny," she groans. "If Mr. Miyagi says he won't train you, then you can't enter the tournament. Is it a deal?" Lucille inquires sternly. He nods his head gleefully in response.

"It's a deal!"

XxXxXxX

The rest of the day rolls by quickly, and Johnny's first three classes go on without much difficulty. Before the gang all knows it, it's time for lunch. The guys collect their meals quickly while Johnny moves through the line slowly. Daniel is at the end of the line, handing out milk to the students, and Johnny is really dreading reaching him.

Dallas stops walking and turns around; he looks at Johnny weirdly. "Ain't you comin'?" He asks. "What the hell is takin' you so long. You're always eager to eat." He shrugs his shoulders in response to Dally and continues through the line at a turtle's pace. Dallas sighs and rolls his eyes before moving on.

Daniel places a container of regular milk on Johnny's tray silently. Johnny stares at it before looking at his older brother. "Daniel, you know I hate regular milk," Daniel continues to glower at him. "Why'd you give me regular? Can't I have chocolate?" He slowly shakes his head. "Why not?"

"You should be thankful you get any at all," Daniel answers plainly. "Back out of the tournament now, and I'll give you chocolate milk." Johnny's eyes narrow, and he sets his tray down on the milk table.

"How about you stop being so childish about this situation?" Johnny snaps. "Mom said it was okay, and you're not in control of my actions. Daniel, you're stooping to Kreese's level. Besides, I thought you'd be excited about me taking an interest in something you love. Instead, you're acting like a baby, and you're treating me like a baby. Daniel, I'm 17. You're 18. That's only a year difference." Johnny tells him angrily. He picks up his milk and tosses it back to his older brother. "Here, take this stupid milk. I don't want it." He walks off without a word; Daniel glares at him the whole way.

Johnny is the last one to reach the table. The gang stares at him expectantly as he takes his seat. "What the hell happened in there?" Steve asks. "We heard you all the way out here, Johnnycakes." Johnny sighs loudly and rolls his eyes.

"Daniel is being an immature asshole," he mutters. "Don't worry about it." Steve stops talking, and the boys eat their lunches silently. The situation never comes up again.

XxXxXxX

After several minutes of begging, Darry finally agrees to let Pony walk to Mr. Miyagi's with Johnny after school. Thankfully for Johnny, the rest of the day goes by fast, and before he knows it, the two boys are making their way to the older man's house. "How long is this walk going to be?" Pony groans.

"Well, I don't know, but we've only been walking for seven minutes," Johnny chuckles. "I hope Daniel isn't here. He shouldn't be; he told my mom he was thinking about coming home directly after work, but it's Daniel. He changes his mind more than a girl does." Ponyboy laughs quietly. Johnny surveys the surroundings. "Don't worry, we're almost there."

XxXxXxX

The door slams shut behind Pony as the two boys enter the backyard. Daniel is walking towards the house, and along the way, he shoots Johnny a dirty look. "Wow, he's really mad at you." Ponyboy whispers behind Johnny. Johnny nods his head and steps farther into the yard.

"Mr. Miyagi, can I talk to you?" Johnny asks, stepping towards him. The sensei looks up. "I want to enter the tournament this year. Will you train me too?" Mr. Miyagi's eyes widen. "Please, I talked to my mom, and she said I can enter only if you train me, and I really, really want to enter."

"What about Daniel-San?"

"You can train both of us," Johnny smiles. "I mean, as long as you don't mind." Mr. Miyagi glances towards the house, almost as if he's expecting Daniel to emerge. Then, he looks back towards the youngest LaRusso. A small smile forms on his face, and he gives one nod of his head.

"Yes, I train you," he announces. "You say, I do. No questions." Ponyboy's eyes widen in surprise; Johnny looks at him with a mile wide smile.

"Yes, Sir!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Again, if you're against the idea of Johnny entering the tournament, don't worry, I have a plan. But, I would really appreciate your feedback, and please, don't be shy. Go ahead and drop me a review. I love hearing from you guys. I also love when you all follow and favorite. It makes me really happy. :)

P.S. I'm really sorry about the length of this chapter.


	9. Johnny's First Lesson

**Lean on Me**  
_Chapter Nine_

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry I didn't upset yesterday! I planned on it, but then I got sidetracked, and I completely forgot!

School is starting in a couple weeks from me (to be exact, two weeks from today), so after chapter 10, the update-every-Monday strategy will probably stop for a little, and the updates will probably be whenever. I'm entering my third year of high school, and I should probably try my best. After this year, I only have two years of high school left, so I really need to change my habits as soon as possible.

Anyway, I hope you guys like chapter nine. I'd really, really appreciate it if you guys would leave me reviews. It'd be nice to know how I'm doing with this story, and if there's anything I can improve, please let me know. I'd also appreciate it if you guys would follow and favorite.

* * *

Once Mr. Miyagi shared Johnny's news with Daniel, the older teen's head nearly exploded with anger. Johnny swears his face turned red like a tomato, and he swears he saw steam coming out from his ears. Afterwards, Daniel had stormed off, and it took much convincing to get Daniel to agree to give Johnny and Ponyboy a ride back to the apartment complex. Not wanting to be in Daniel's line of view, Johnny and Pony claimed the backseats, and the whole ride turned out to be silent. Pony didn't even try to strike up a conversation with his best friend for the fear of what Daniel would do.

After Daniel parks the car, Ponyboy spits out a quick good-bye to Johnny and takes off towards his apartment. Johnny turns towards his brother in absolute disgust; Daniel pays him no mind. "Would you quit bein' such a baby?" Johnny inquires angrily. Very slowly, he's starting to lose his patience with his childish older brother. "Seriously, Daniel! You're actin' like a baby! You ain't the director of the tournament! You ain't in charge of who enters the tournament and who doesn't. I'm doin' it for the fun of it! It ain't like I'm going to take your title if that's what you're so worried about!" Daniel stops what he's doing and stares at his brother. "Don't you think you're bein' immature about this?" Daniel continues to glare at Johnny, and in response to his question, Daniel slams his door shut before storming off to their apartment. Johnny watches him walk away. Once he's out of sight, Johnny rolls his eyes and sighs loudly.

XxXxXxX

Johnny helps Lucille with dinner by dumping the pot of spaghetti noodles into the strainer sitting in the sink. As he rambles on about Daniel's immaturity, Lucille reads over the sauce label, occasionally giving Johnny one word responses to his frustration. "Don't you think he's bein' a baby about it too?" Johnny asks, staring at his mom. Lucille continues reading the back of the label. "Mom, you haven't been paying attention to a word I've been saying, have you?" He sighs. She snaps out of her trance and looks towards her son.

"I'm sorry, Johnny," she answers simply. "I'm trying to figure out how to make this. Daniel accidentally picked up the wrong sauce from the store, and it's not made the same way as the other kind. Now, what were you saying?" Johnny sighs and sets the empty pot on a hot pad. He takes a deep breath and explains his situation with Daniel to his mother again.

XxXxXxX

After Lucille sets the table, the LaRusso family of three gathers around to eat. Daniel has now gone from shooting Johnny dirty looks to completely ignoring his presence, and Johnny isn't sure which one he likes more. Johnny's eyes wander around the table, looking for the garlic bread, and just Johnny's luck, they're closest to Daniel. He looks towards his brother, who's playing with his food. It takes him a bit, but he finally musters up enough courage to ask him for one. "Hey, Daniel, can you pass the garlic bread?" He asks quietly. Silently, Daniel picks up a piece and tosses it towards his brother. It ends up hitting Johnny in the chest and falling to the floor. Lucille sighs loudly and throws her fork down. The sound of it hitting the glass plate causes both Johnny and Daniel to jump.

"That's enough!" She nearly exclaims. Lucille looks towards Daniel. "You're acting like a child, Daniel! You need to relax, and get over it. I gave Johnny permission to enter the tournament. You need to calm down, and I'm disappointed that you're treating your own brother so poorly. I thought I raised you better than that. I'm disappointed in you, Daniel." He shoots Johnny another dirty look. Daniel kicks his chair back and stands up abruptly. Like Lucille, he throws his fork onto the table before storming to his room. Lucille shakes her head and sighs. "I can't believe this." She mutters under her breath, pressing her forehead into her left hand.

XxXxXxX

The rest of the week goes by without a problem (Johnny has decided that his fight with Daniel is now considered a lifestyle because, to him, it sure as hell feels like it's never going to end), and Saturday rolls around, bringing Johnny's first day of training. And after having to repeat the directions several times, Lucille finally arrives to the wise man's house. "Thanks for the ride, Ma." He smiles. Lucille nods her head nervously, still not too happy with the idea of her youngest son doing karate.

Mr. Miyagi steps out of the house as soon as Lucille disappears with a big smile on his face. Johnny redirects himself, and the two meet halfway. Mr. Miyagi looks around curiously. "Where Daniel-San?" Johnny holds back a smirk as he explains to his sensei.

"Ma ain't letting him come today because he was bein' an asshole to me last night," Johnny lets the smirk slip through as he thinks about what had happened; Mr. Miyagi looks towards the ground. "Ma caught him giving me several dirty looks, and she got upset again because he keeps ignoring me." The old man frowns.

"That shame," he replies quietly, meeting Johnny's eyes. "Come. Time for first lesson." He gestures towards the back yard and starts off towards the gate. Johnny follows behind him slowly.

"What's my first lesson?" Johnny asks curiously, stepping into his yard. He looks around. Nothing looks different, and it looks like there's nothing that needs to be tampered with. Plus, it doesn't look like any karate lessons lie around the yard.

"Waxing cars."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I would really appreciate feedback. I feel like I'm in the dark with this story because I don't what people think of it. Please, please, please review. :)


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